Dear Editor,

Please help us publish this article for the whole world to know the injustice going on at the Central Bank of The Gambia. This article is in relation to some unfair games played by the senior management of the Bank when it comes to promotions and swindling of funds.

 International Thieves of The Gambia’s Central Bank

By The Mirror; In the National Interest

First of all, one wonders the criteria for the approval of staff promotion. The Central Bank requirement is for a member of staff to be recommended by his/her Director depending on his/her performance at work. Staff appraisal is normally conducted per Department before the names of those recommended are sent to the Board for approval. Unfortunately, the senior management handpicked the staff of their choice to be promoted in order for them to get the support in their illegal activities. Those that deserve to be promoted are left out for no good reasons. Chei aduna, wonders shall never end, I just can't imagine this senior management promoting some secretaries above officers who struggled to earn their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Believe me, these promotions are not based on merit but on favoritism. Promotions are supposed to be based on merit (hard work, good delivery on the job and one’s level of academic achievements and or competence) but not the other way round.  Interestingly, The Gambia’s Central Bank has become George Orwell’s Animal Farm especially, when it comes to promotions and training opportunities. There is serious injustice going on in this Bank. We pray that Al-Mighty God salvages us from these evil forces through the intervention of President Yahya Jammeh.

Clear examples of dubious promotions are that of Messrs: Lassana Fatty (a.k.a Lax) of the Internal Audit Department and Ousainey Corr of the Finance Department to Director positions. Mr. Fatty was compensated for the Director position because he was the very employee Governor Saho used to dubiously nominate his brother, one Abdou Karim John for long-term training. For Ousainou Corr, it is common knowledge that this man is promoted to help Governor Saho in his illegal dealings in the Finance Department. One example of the illegal business was when DFID organized a workshop in 2006, which the Central Bank had previously funded. DFID refunded Central Bank the cost of the workshop to the tune of $20, 000 and this was shared among Governor Bamba Saho, Ousainou Corr, Ousman Sowe and current Deputy Governor No.2, Mrs. Oumie Samba Savage.  Mrs. Samba was the Financial Controller/Director of the Finance Department and Ousainou Corr at the time was handling the foreign reserves of the Central Bank at the Finance Department. Let them deny, we would be prompted to publish the facts online. We are fully aware of all their illegal dealings because we see all the vouchers and cheques as they pass through us. We have staff reporters stationed in the key Departments namely Administration, Finance and Internal Audit. So don’t be shocked of how we get the information published as all your dealings are in our hands.

Governor Saho also received a 20, 000 Pounds Sterling kickback in 2006 from De La Rue in the UK for the printing of the Gambian currency. Mr. Saho made a special trip to the UK to get his kickback. A senior manager of the Central Bank of The Gambia has details of the document and so do we.  We would put the documents online if he dares to open his mouth to deny this. This Governor is a real thief. Your day is surely coming, when you would pay for all these heinous crimes against The Gambia.  Why not fear Allah and safe yourself from the punishments of the grave. Remember, you would one day leave this world to face Allah and an atom of all your dealings in this world would be seen that day. No stone would be left unturned that day, so watch out your illegal moves.

Governor Saho pretends to be cost conscious when it comes to approvals on staff matters but not for his affairs. He is extremely extravagant when it comes to his own affairs. How can this man give the former Governor’s official vehicle that cost over one million dalasi to his wife and go in approving another vehicle for his use also costing over a million dalasi? Interestingly, the wife is using that vehicle at the expense of the Central Bank on her business trips to Dakar and within The Gambia. It is even shocking to note that this Governor’s wife is benefiting and exploiting Central Bank while we have vehicle problems in the Bank. 

Criminal Directors

It would be very difficult to remove corruption from Central Bank. Precisely because even the junior clerks see the Governor as a big thief who is only interested in his head. No wonder, the level of corruption is high in this Bank. Can you imagine the Director of the Supervision Department; Mr. Ousman Sowe siding with the financial institutions when it comes to taking decisions as far as flouting the prudential requirements is concerned. Heads of the financial institutions bribe him to favor them and if he denies this, we would be prompted to quote some of his dealings on record. He passes Central Bank secret information to the Finance Institutions for money thereby compromising the efforts of regulators. This Director Sowe is one of the most poisonous snakes in the scheme of things at Gambia’s ill-fated National Treasury. No wonder, Sowe was denied the position of Deputy Governor 2. It went to Mrs. Samba a very junior officer to Sowe but his Sowe’s insatiable taste for ill-gotten fortunes has landed him in disrepute and disgrace. I hope you are not shocked with that decision Mr. Sowe. Please don't be shocked because God is rewarding you for your corrupt activities. Shameless man, no one will respect you within Central Bank because you are corrupt and bias – Greedy Monster. God will surely deal with you in the long run. Why not repent and do justice. I even wonder why the Governor recommends you to be the Chairman of the Renovation Committee of the Central Bank? No wonder, the first phase of the renovation was a complete failure because you sided with the contractors to dupe the Central Bank on kickbacks in millions of Dalasi. We know the Governor is benefiting from your kickbacks but be warned as you are the greatest fool ever employed by Central Bank. Even a Grade six pupil will not agree with you on the millions you claimed to have spent on the first phase of the renovation. What a calamity for Central Bank? Either that your IQ is quite low or you are blinded by greed to realize that you are digging your own grave. Governor Saho would soon bury you alive as he is using you to commit all these serious crimes because you are greedy. Mr. Sowe, you are under our microscope; the next article would be on your dealings with …in town and also your … attitude in favoring ladies of the Financial Supervision Department.

Hmmm dema waaru, I even find it difficult to call his name: Director of Administration & Human Resource Department Herbert Carr (a.k.a Failure). I don’t even know why you are never in your office but in your Deputy’s office all the time? This man is a real square peg in a round hole. Be warned that your deputy Ms. Haddy Joof is also promoted as a Director. So know that your days are numbered because you are too weak to stand the frustrations of the evil and corrupt Governor Saho. You are heading the Admin Department because your brother Benjie Carr is giving you support in the Central Bank Board. Director Herbert Carr used to fear Haddy Sallah (one time General Manager of Central Bank) like death because Aunty Haddy did not spare him. This so-called Director even finds it difficult to write a simple memo. Go to his office now, you would find piles of files sitting on his desk. Guess what? He doesn’t know what to do with them. Why not delegate if you can't do the work well? You have young talented juniors who can help. If you see Mr. Carr running from office to office or constantly calling his subordinates, come on, know that he is working for the Governor's travel outside The Gambia. No wonder, you failed during your overseas training. The greatest mistake of the Senior Management of Central Bank was to promote Mr. Carr. He is also another corrupt fellow who gets kickbacks from any of the Central Bank contracts or transactions with outsiders. We were with you on Wednesday (9th April) morning and I can see you are in a desperate condition during the Departmental meeting. Relax Director Carr; you can’t trace us, as we are part of your life if you are in the Central bank. We are waiting for your exit because we think your deputy can perform better than you though with some reservations. We always hear staff talking about your incompetence as you keep on dragging files except those of the Governor and his deputies. You are contributing in the systemic destruction of the Central Bank because administration is the backbone of any institution.

I wonder whether President Jilanka Jammeh is aware of what is going on at the Central Bank? Jilanka get up before these thieves will make you fail in your dreams to make the Gambia financial institutions and the economy at large a robust one. Please send in your NIAs to find out these fact presented in this article. You would be shocked to learn all the corrupt practices performed by these ‘DIKS/ DIRIMOS’ of the Central Bank. If President Jammeh really means his love for the Gambian people at large, then we need his rescue from all these mess.

We rest our case till you respond. We hope you would keep quite as silence means consent. More in stock, so watch your actions as you are under the Central Bank microscope.

By The Mirror; In the National Interest